Song of the Forest
by Shika and Stormfur's Sweetie
Summary: Songpaw is a ThunderClan apprentice with a scarred, blind, right eye supposively obtained from her rough rogue past. Strangly, every Clan in the forest has their eyes set on this softvoiced but fierceminded apprentice. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. Changed plot.
1. Song of the Forest: Allegiances, Summary

**ThunderClan**

Leader: Shootingstar- dark orange-ginger tom

Deputy: Smallclaw- wise small gray she-cat with a scar across her left eye

Apprentice, Heronpaw

Medicine Cat: Bluewhisker- gray-blue tom with green eyes

Warriors:

Smoketail- dark gray tom with a fluffy speckled tail

Apprentice, Songpaw

Ashfire- gray tom with amber eyes, brother of Smoketail

Whiterose- young white she-cat with ginger splotches

Flameclaw- muscular ginger-orange tom

Apprentice, Hailpaw

Mudwhisker- moltted fierce brown she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice, Emberpaw

Rainbird- silver she-cat with clear blue eyes

Sandfur- sandy-colored tom with green eyes, older warrior

Apprentice, Redpaw

Delilah-former rogue, light tan she-cat with amber eyes and a white tailtip

Apprentices:

Hailpaw- white she-cat with bolder gray stripes and blue eyes, sister of Heronpaw

Songpaw- short-haired white she-cat with silver-tipped fur, blind in right eye; blue eyes

Redpaw- red tortoiseshell tom with unusual blue eyes

Emberpaw- dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Heronpaw- white tom with delicate gray streaks and blue eyes, brother of Hailpaw

Queens:

Brokenflower- black-and-white she-cat

(Rainkit, Mosskit)

Elders:

Thymefur- tortoiseshell she-cat

Harepelt- orange-and-brown tom with amber eyes

**ROUGES**

Nicole- slim black she-cat with white flecks; scarred very badly from kithood

Coal- muscular black tom

Nightmare- dark gray tabby tom with gray eyes

Crystal- gray-white she-cat with dark blue eyes

Delilah- light tan-ginger colored she-cat with amber eyes (now ThunderClan warrior)

Racheal- (see Songpaw) (went to ThunderClan with Delilah)

Joey- short-haired white tom with black spots

**later...**

Jet- mysterious black tom with gray-blue eyes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_So I've changed the plot up quite a bit. Even though this story will be postponed until I finish another one of my others, I will still give you a short summary and see if it's worth it._

_Ok, the prolouge will kind of explain Songpaw's rogue/unknown background. Songpaw is a short-haired she-cat with white fur and unusual silver tips. She has blue eyes and is blind in only her right eye. She has a soft voice but a fierce attitude making her very likable and unusual to ThunderClan. Her best friends are Hailpaw and Heronpaw, the two cats she grew up with. Emberpaw, the mysterious dark ginger tom, has caught Songpaw's one eye she can see with. What happens when she discovers something horrifyingly mysterious about _his_ past?_

_Along with that, though no prophecies rage yet, Songpaw's voice will soon be spoken across the forest. Something special about this young she-cat has captivated the forest like no other cat has before. _

_But battle is coming all too soon and RiverClan don't seem to be happy with Songpaw. Are they prepared to fight for their answers?_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Rainshower & Mossdead_


	2. Song of the Forest: Prolouge

**Song of the Forest**

_**Prolouge**_

"Nicole, this way! We can find shelter under this tree before the storm gets worse!" The yowl came from a broad-shoulder black tomcat as he fought his way to his mate in a rustling wind. The she-cat had two kits at her side; she was a thin black she-cat with white flecks. Her kits were both white with silver-tipped fur and blue eyes. They wailed as the wind blew against their fur and rain flew into their eyes.

"I know, Coal, just help me with out kits," wailed Nicole, her kits still wrapping themselves pittifully around her paws. The tom came and aided both his mate and kits along into the willow's sheltering branches.

When settled inside, Nicole wrapped her body around her sweet kits while Coal watched them. Grooming each kit fairly, the queen murmuring comfortingly to them, "There, it will be fine, Joey, Racheal... Nothing will ever happen to you... You are safe."

There was silence beneath the willow as Nicole, shivering, looked at her kits. Sadness was flooded into her eyes as she realized that she and her mate would never be able to give these kits a good home and have them survive. Oh, how she loved her kits... but she would never be able to raise them properly. She was too young and she and Coal were too alone and vulnerable to the badgers, foxes, and wolves that could terrorize the health and survival of her kits.

"Coal, we can never keep them," Nicole murmured, her eyes full of love as she touched Joey and Racheal on their noses with her tail. "We will have to give them up if we want them to grow strong."

"But where?" asked Coal, his eyes troubled and confused. When Nicole shook her head, he sighed and went on. "We have nobody to give these kits too. We'll have to try and raise them-"

"But that is not an option!" spat Nicole, eyes flashing. She slid her claws out and dug them into the ground. "I grew up abused and treated unfairly by my mother. I have not forgotten and you have not forgotten the day you rescued me." There was a flash of lightning which illuminated the inside of the willow revealing Nicole's face and body covered with terrible scars that would never heal. Another flash showed one long scratch on Coal showing how he had rescued the cat he loved from her family. "I know we would never treat our kits badly but they cannot grow up knowing starvation. We have to give them away but I need to find where..."

"Twolegs are out of the question," Coal added and Nicole nodded in agreement. "What about another family of rogues or farmcats or the Tribe?"

Nicole shook her head, her eyes gazing at the stars. Suddenly, star-furred cats filled her mind and seemed to lead her to a place in her dreams where she would take her kits. "ThunderClan..." spoke a very pretty star-furred she-cat.

"ThunderClan," repeated Nicole and she turned to her mate. "ThunderClan, that is where."

"A Clan?" Coal asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," Nicole mewed, her voice soft. "Our kits will grow up there. We will take them there tomorrow when the storm has ceased and Joey and Racheal will live their lives how they deserve."

"Very well. We leave tomorrow."

---

"Who are you?" gasped Nicole, her voice tight and her teeth bared. Two cats faced her, her mate, and her kits. Racheal and Joey wailed in terror.

"Our names are Nightmare and this is Crystal..." Nightmare spoke icily. "We are here to... do you a small favor. We can take your kits off your hands, yes we can."

Nicole scrambled to her feet and Coal lept onto Crystal. It seemed the rivals had met again but this time Nightmare and Nicole would be weaker from the kits.

Then the fight broke out and thunder scratched at the willow's outside. Nicole tried to trip Nightmare and Coal circled Crystal. Teeth bared, the cats lept. Nicole managed to block the kits barely and Coal avoided a deathly attack from Crystal. Lightning crackled and the rain swirled.

"N-No!" gasped Nicole as she grabbed Joey by the scruff and stuffed him in the crook of the willow to avoid the flooding ground to get him wet. Coal bit Crystal and tried to do the same for Racheal but slipped. All of the sudden lightning struck again to show a ginger-tan she-cat with amber eyes. At once Coal and Nicole turned to the with gratitude. In that moment, Crystal snagged Racheal who was flying in the mud.

"Delilah, help us!" Nicole finally cried.

"Don't worry," Delilah gasped as she unstuck Racheal from the mud. "I will take this one to ThunderClan." When Nicole opened her mouth, Delilah continued. "I overheard you last night and I know where ThunderClan is. Follow with Joey!"

"Oh no you won't!" Crystal lunged for Delilah, scraping the tan she-cat and fulling grabbed Racheal. The small kit squealed quietly in a soft voice. Then the kit hissed, and it was sharper and crisp and clear. Coal grabbeed Crystal but Nightmare was faster as he then jammed his claws into Racheal's right eye. It was horrible; blood flowed from the small kits eye. It was ruined.

"No!" Delilah snapped and she grabbed Racheal and took off running. She knew that ThunderClan would have something called a medicine cat.

Nicole gave a sorrowful wail and Delilah couldn't look back. Was Joey ok? Was Nicole wailing about Coal or herself? Or was she sad that Racheal was leaving her.

Delilah ran faster. ThunderClan... oh, she knew the Clan only too well. This time, _this_ time she would probably join with Racheal. The former leader had talked to her before. And it just made Delilah shiver to think back about that memory.

"Almost here," mouthed Delilah to the screaming kit in her jaws. It would be so hard for Racheal.

"Delilah? What are you doing here?" A sandy tom was standing beside her with a silver she-cat.

"Oh my StarClan, Sandfur, Rainpaw!" gasped Delilah. She dropped the kit beside Sandfur and gulped for air. "This kit, Racheal, was attacked and her brother and parents are still out there but her parents want her to live in ThunderClan so could you take her back and I really have to go back and help them, Sandfur, and I-"

"Delilah, calm down," he mewed sharply. "We will get you and this kit back to our camp and maybe send a patrol back for your rogue friends." He sighed. "Are you here to stay this time? I miss seeing you."

Delilah hesitated before she mewed quietly, "Probably. I want Racheal and Joey to grow up here. Nicole and Coal love their kits but you see they cannot take care of them." Sandfur nodded.

"Let's go."

---

"We will call her by a Clan name..." breathed the medicine cat, Bluewhisker, to Delilah. The former rogue hesitated once again.

"Name her... Songkit."

"Songkit it is then."


	3. Song of the Forest: Ch One

**Chapter One: Dealing With Life**

"I am not afraid!" screeched a silver-tipped she-kit as she was laughed at by her fellow nursery-mates. A red ginger tom held back from the laughter, though. He was slouched in a corner while the she-kit began to whimper. Almost at once, a white tom with dark gray stripes ceased his laughter and went over next to the small kit.

"Songkit, we're just playing with you," he mewed seriously, helping her to her feet. Songkit sniffed and shrugged. The laugher from the other cats died down and the ginger tom started to stalk over towards them. "You've got a lot for other cats to be jealous of. You're very pretty and easy to respect-"

"Yeah right!" muttered Songkit, pulling away from her friend's comfort. "I'm _blind_, _scarred_ in one eye. I'm ugly. And I'm not respectable; I'm teasable. Heronkit, I know you're just lying about it."

"I'm not lying, Songkit, you need to-"

"Heronkit!" shushed an identical white she-cat with more identible gray stripes. She walked over to her brother and touched his shoulder lightly. "You're not helping." She turned to face the rest of the kits including a red tortoiseshell tom. "Let's play over here."

The rest of the kits followed Hailkit and Heronkit... but the ginger tom stayed back after a few steps. He hesitated briefly before whispering hastily, "I'm sorry, Songkit." Songkit's face shot up, her mouth gaping. Emberkit gave her one last look before he turned with his tail down to join the other kits. Still she continued to stare after him. The most mysterious kit who's mother had died a few sunhighs after he was born, had actually talked to her let alone said sorry. The handsome tom was highly respected for his mother was popular and his father was unknown. Even though he left to sit and watch the other kits, Songkit still felt she had achieved something. Then a cold stone hit her. She had stooped low enough to achieve the pitty of Emberkit.

"Mother, where are you?" Songkit asked the stars, her one blind eye reflecting the light of the moon. In a few sunhighs, she would be an apprentice. But who would want to mentor her? She sighed; sometimes life just wasn't fair. The worst part was that she didn't even know of her past. Nothing. The only cat who helped her with some of the questions was a friendly cat of ThunderClan with a weird name... Delilah. She only told Songkit the most important information, though, and nothing that was asked directly.

There was a snap at the enterance and Songkit's eyes flitted to the she-cat coming in. She was now the only remaining queen since Emberkit's mother was dead, she didn't have a mother known, and since Redkit's mother, a fierce and valuble warrior, Mudwhisker, left the nursery just a few sunhighs ago to join back in the strong force of ThunderClan warriors. Not to stress much though as all the kits were about to be made apprentices and Brokenflower was just about to move into the nursery.

"Songkit, will you please come and play?" asked Heronkit as he effortlessly batted his sister Hailkit off him. Songkit considered the offer for a moment before smiling and nodding. Heronkit beckoned her over and she stood to watch for a moment.

"Oh, no you don't, Redstar!" cried Hailkit as she batted Redkit on the head.

"Noooo," cried Redkit. "The almightly Redstar shall not be defeated by Hailstar!" He bit down playfully on her ear and she pretended to squeal loudly. "WindClan rules over RiverClan!"

"Not so fast!" Heronkit yowled as he jumped into the battle as well.

"Oh no, it's ThunderClan's Heronstar!" screamed Hailkit as Heronkit bowled into his sister playfully.

"Why don't you play too?" Songkit bravely asked Emberkit. The ginger tom stared into her eyes, his expression unreadable as ever. Then he flicked his tail.

"I don't play kit games... especially if the only leader left is of ShadowClan." Emberkit nimbly lept across the nursery and disappeared outside. Songkit, simply hurt, turned back to Heronkit and Hailkit, shaking her head.

"I'll still be ShadowClan leader," she whispered.

"Not now," came the sharp voice of Rainbird, the queen caring for all the kits. "Time to sleep. Tomorrow you know you all get apprentice." Her voice softened when she saw all the kits gasp. "Yes, so soon, I know. Anyways, I know Redkit is a little overdue for apprenticeship, Emberkit is a little older as well, and that Heronkit and Hailkit are right on time... Songkit, you look a little young as well." Songkit shuffled her paws and Emberkit returned grouchily with a vole. "Ok, you all may get situated."

Songkit sighed as she climbed in her nest with Hailkit and Heronkit. Emberkit slept alone farthest from all the others while Redkit slept fairly close. She wondered if this was how it was going to be in the apprentices' den. Right now there were no more apprentice. The last, Whitepaw and Flamepaw, were just made warriors that sundown.

_Off to be made a half-blind apprentice,_ thought Songkit as she settled down in the cotton feathers and entwined bracken.

---

"Today is it..." The red tortoiseshell tom mewed as he stepped infront of Songkit blocking the sun from her left eye. A little scared, Songkit jumped back into her friends Heronkit and Hailkit who were lined up beside her and Redkit. She nodded sorry to them and then cast a glance down the row of kits. Emberkit was at the front, proudly looking across the swarm of cats gathered for their ceremony. Their leader was already seated above them at the highrock where he nodded gently to the kits. And then Shootingstar began the ceremony.

"We gather here to welcome five new apprentices to ThunderClan and we felt it nessacery to announce their ceremonies altogether," called Shootingstar as he looked over at Brokenflower and Mudwhisker, the only mothers of the five kits. Songkit frowned a bit as she thought of her lost mother somewhere. She tried hard to concentrate on the ceremony before her. "First we have Redkit, son of Mudwhisker who left the nursery just a good bit before the battle we recently had. We thank her. So here Redkit will be named Redpaw until he reaches his warrior status. We look forward to your skill. Your mentor will be one highly reguarded by ThunderClan. Sandfur will be your mentor." Songkit nodded and cheered with the other cats as Redpaw, looking thrilled, joined his sandy-colored mentor proudly. After the cheering was over, Songkit nudged Hailkit.

"I know!" squealed her friend. "I want to go next!" And she did.

"Next we have both Hailkit and Heronkit, kits of dear Rainbird who will finally return to warrior status after looking after five kits," called Shootingstar as the twin white striped kits bounded forward. Flameclaw is one of our newest warriors but all can see he is highly skilled in almost every aspect of the Clan. He will be mentor to Hailpaw." Hailpaw's eyes flickered for a moment and Songkit smiled uneasily. Hailpaw had a small... crush... on Flameclaw as well as an even smaller one on Emberkit that would probably be outgrown. Mentoring her would not be a juicy, plump mouse caught in leaf-bare. But before long the two touched noses and Whiterose brushed her tail along Flameclaw's coat while looking apprenhansivly at Hailpaw. Uh-oh. That might not be good either.

"Now her brother's turn, Heronkit," Shootingstar continued, a faint look of amusement in his old eyes as he gazed upon the kit before him who was tremulous with excitment. "I have faith in him. He has proved an amazing friend to some in need." Songkit felt his gaze burn on her and she blinked, her sightless eye feeling shame that shouldn't be there. "Heronkit will be Heronpaw and his mentor... my very own deputy, Smallclaw."

The raspy old she-cat turned her head and smiled warmly. Heronpaw looked even more thrilled than Redpaw. His mentor was one of the most highly respected cats in the forest, and the deputy not to mention he would probably be her last apprentice!

"Welcome," Songkit could here Smallclaw mew gently to Heronpaw as they touched noses. In anticipation, Songkit ignored the rest of their talk and focused on Emberkit and Shootingstar. The ginger tom had wondered over beside her where Hailpaw had been sitting. His breath was just a little short of alright and he seemed not at all mad that the younger kits had been made apprentices first. _After all, they are the ones with mothers_, thought Songkit bitterly. But her emotions changed when Shootingstar called Emberkit forth. The handsome ginger kit turned to Songkit, smiled, and then left her alone.

"Emberkit, your mother passed away with you here mysteriously, your father unknown, but your spirit stronger," Shootingstar mewed quieter than normal. His voice rose. "Emberkit, you shall be known as Emberpaw. Your mentor will be Mudwhisker." The fierce brown she-cat nodded to Emberpaw just as warmly as small. All these cats were the best mentors! Songkit smiled as Mudwhisker was indeed known as one of the best fighters and fiercest tongues. She would teach mysterious Emberpaw a lot!

"And finallly... small Songkit, scarred Songkit..." Shootingstar called catching the attention of restless cats. "But a strong kit. Songkit, you will be known as Songpaw. You joined this Clan by the help of Delilah and some could say this cat is like your mother. But not quite. Your mentor will not be Delilah... but strong Smoketail."

Songpaw's insides fluttered. Smoketail was a warrior of high courage. Sure, he was younger, yes, but he was amazing and all cats looked up to a tom like that! She stumbled not one bit as she proudly made her way over to Smoketail. What a great few moons of apprenticeship this would be!


End file.
